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Monthly Archives: January 2014

Episode 4 shows signs of Hamatora’s improvement. One thing I couldn’t stand about Hamatora in the first three episodes was the weakly presented humour. If you’ve read some of my other reviews, you should be able to tell that my favourite genre is comedy. I know that Hamatora isn’t focused on comedy. It’s more of a psychological and mystery anime like Durarara. I’m fine with an anime without humour. Durarara managed to get me intrigued throughout the series without needing much. My previous issue with Hamatora was how the humour was somewhat forced. For instance, Nice asking the bomber why he doesn’t just use grenades instead in episode 2. When I saw that I thought, “Are you kidding me, Nice? That wasn’t needed at all. In fact, it just made you look stupid.”

At the start of episode 4, I thought that the advertisement was kind of lame. It felt like another of Hamatora’s weak attempts at humour. However, it wasn’t so bad when I saw Murasaki’s expressions during the advertisement and his reaction which watching it. The advertisement was meant to be that way and Murasaki’s response is amusing.

I was quite puzzled during the scene when Ratio was talking to the old lady. It seemed pointless at the time. Later, when Honey’s partner was trying to get Honey back, I realised the purpose of introducing the old lady. Badass driving from an old lady against a bunch of gun smugglers! Not bad, Obaa-san! That’s when I decided, “Hey, there’s hope for Hamatora’s humour!” It’s like finally, finally, there’s something funny about Hamatora.

Episode 4 is interesting, with the addition of Honey and her partner and their Minimum powers. The beast guy looks like he came out of a Marvel comic but Honey’s ability to see ten minutes into the future using her ‘Mighty’ is cool. The case about the teens with guns being caused by a video is very interesting. How did Moral think of the mosquito thing? That’s smart. It’s pretty eerie how he gave his coat to a boy outside the exam centre though. I knew something was off about that. Yes, Moral did help the boy that way, but seeing the blood stain at the back, the boy would be in deep trouble. Anyone who saw that would be shocked and probably suspicious that the boy was involved in murder or other crimes. The poor boy didn’t know the danger of the seemingly kind gesture. Would we be seeing the same boy again in future episodes? What’s going to happen to him?

One thing I like about Hamatora is how two cases that appear unrelated are usually connected in some way. Also, there hasn’t been any distracting flashing texts lately so it’s good. Hopefully the future episodes of Hamatora will bring about more interesting cases.

Oh my this episode is hilarious. To link to the title, my happiness lies in watching comedies like this. It starts off with Yato in his dream, where he has lots of followers known as “Yatoites”. His daydreams are always so amusing. So was seeing Yukine kicking him down the stairs. The next day, Hiyori tries to persuade Yato to finally get on with her request since he has Yukine as his Regalia now. Yato finally gets serious for a moment and tells her there’s someone she has to meet.

Yato has a ‘girlfriend’ who likes him a lot. Maybe she doesn’t mind being a “Yatoite”. So Kofuku is the person that Yato wants to introduce to Hiyori and Yukine? Perhaps he’s trying to prove that there are actually girls who like him and he’s not despised by everybody the way Hiyori and Yukine seem to. Kofuku is actually a goddess and she has a Regalia who is mistaken as her husband at first. The first meeting between the four of them is hilarious.

Yato gets a phone call for a new job. Once he arrived, he accidentally knocked down the client, causing him to fall off the building. Noragami’s comedy strikes again. Yato and his client actually have the time for introductions while falling off the building. Seriously, you guys? Shouldn’t you be more concerned at the fact that you’re really going to die? It’s apparently such a long fall that the client has enough time to talk about his story. (Not that I mind how it isn’t realistic. Comedies don’t always involve being realistic.) The client talks about how he became bankrupt due to a girl he likes. He shows Yato her photo and it turns out that she’s Kofuku. The only way to help the client is to severe his ties with Kofuku, which he hesitantly does.

So, Kofuku is the god of poverty? It later makes sense that she does fit the description given by the client. She’s usually kept at home because she causes trouble every time she goes out.

Nearing the end of the episode, we get to see the darker side of Noragami. Kofuku tells Hiyori that Yato has killed people before. So that’s why there was another version of Yato in the opening song. It reminds me that Noragami isn’t only about funny moments and Yato’s jobs. There’s a deeper meaning to it which lies in Yato’s past.

I don’t believe that Yato is a bad character. If he did kill people in the past, he was probably left with no choice. His former Regalia, Nora, definitely played a big part of it. I’m sure that she was Yato’s Regalia at that time. Perhaps she was the cause for everything that happened in the past.

On a side note, Yato’s relationship with Hiyori and Yukine have improved by the end of the episode. That’s nice to know. I love the interactions between the trio. Hiyori’s comment is slightly odd or does that mean she somehow has a crush on Yato now? Too bad I have to wait for another week until I get to watch the next episode. With the darkness within Noragami creeping in, things are getting much more interesting. A good balance between comedy, action and a dark plot? Noragami is now officially my favourite anime this season.

This episode shows a different side of Chitoge. I’ve been watching Nisekoi from Raku’s perspective for some time that I didn’t really think about Chitoge. Then that typical romance show technique strikes again… the other side of a character. It’s not just limited to romance shows, but it’s a technique that works every time. There are some characters that viewers tend to dislike at first, but then we find something to symphasise with them.

In Chitoge’s case, ever since she transferred schools, she hasn’t made friends with anyone yet. We hear some of her classmates gossiping about her, thinking that she’s an arrogant girl. However, Chitoge actually has no idea how to make friends. She keeps a notebook about her classmates, trying to think of a plan to converse with them. Raku understands this, being brought up in the same environment. He knows how hard it is to keep changing schools and having classmates gossiping about him. He offers to help Chitoge to complete her notebook and encourages her to talk to the girls she mentioned.

I symphasise with Chitoge. Transferring schools is a tough thing for students. The rest of the class have their own group of friends while the transfer student awkwardly tries to fit in. It’s not easy to find a place for yourself when you’re the only one who feels so unfamiliar with everyone else. It’s sweet that Chitoge makes a notebook about her classmates. She really puts an effort into trying to make friends. She wants to get to know more about them and she wants to make a difference to her social life. It’s a wonderful side of Chitoge.

I think I’m starting to really like Nisekoi. It may not be as hilarious as other romantic comedies I’ve watched, but it’s getting better. Shaft’s animation is great (just ignore that extreme head tilting – to be honest I never noticed it until I saw the meme. I think Nisekoi is the first Shaft anime I’ve watched). The plot is improving too. Raku sees Onodera’s key and suspects it to be the key from the promise ten years ago. On the other hand, he sees the softer side of Chitoge and that she’s not just the “gorilla woman” that he can’t stand. Also, Onodera overhears Raku and Chitoge’s conversation about their “performance”, so she might figure out that their fake relationship soon. The love triangle is slowly beginning…

The older adventurers have agreed to Minori’s plan to attack the goblins. Meanwhile, the nobles of Elder Tale are holding a secret conference separate from the Round Table representatives. Shiroe feels that they are planning to ask the Izumo Knights for help. However, no one is sure of their whereabouts and it is as if they have vanished into thin air.

With Minori as a lookout, the young adventurers attack the first batch of goblins successfully with their great teamwork. We can see their improvement from their previous battles. The magic lens Naotsugu lent to Minori are really cool. They allow her to see very clearly in the dark. (I want one of those!)

Over to the castle, the nobles have turned to the adventurers for help. However, they are still wary of the adventurers, so they are secretly trying to gather information about them. Shiroe plans to do the same. He asks them about the whereabouts of the Izumo Knights, only to be met with nervous looks and a suggestion that the adventurers should fight instead. This breaks into an argument between the two parties on whose duty it is to protect the land. Michitaka shocks everyone by slamming the table with his fist, claiming that the adventurers are not part of the Freedom Cities. (That is one big dent, by the way. That teaches us to never mess with Michitaka.) This stuns the nobles, rendering them speechless.

“We don’t have the right to take advantage of our weakness and use them as tools!” – Princess Lenessia

That’s not all. Princess Lenessia arrives suddenly, announcing that she is going to Akihabara and requests Crusty to accompany her. Much to the nobles’ dismay, the princess reveals their secret that the Knights of Izumo are missing. She argues that it is wrong to push everything to the adventurers. Princess Lenessia adds that she wishes to go to Akihabara to personally gather adventurer volunteers.

“She might be the one who saves the Freedom Cities of Eastel from the dead end in which they find themselves.”

I really admire Princess Lenessia in this episode. When she was just introduced, she was portrayed as a lazy princess who reminds Crusty of his little sister. It was like she was only interested in living a comfortable life. However, in this episode, she was brave enough to stand up against the nobles to tell them her thoughts. She took a huge step to changing what others thought about her. She’s not someone who will hide away from the politics of her country anymore. Emphasising on respect, Princess Lenessia wants both parties to understand what is necessary. Hiding the truth will not help anyone. Pushing the blame is useless. If people are going to fight against the goblins, they should be willing to do so, not forced. I respect her decision to face the problem herself. The princess has proven that she is no longer just a lazy, cowardly princess.

Princess Lenessia persuading the adventurers in the next episode will be interesting. I’m eager to see how she’s planning to do that. According to what she told Crusty, she doesn’t have a plan. However, with her strong resolve, she should be able to figure something out. I support you, Princess Lenessia!

Since the two rival yakuza gangs are not convinced about Raku and Chitoge’s relationship, the two of them have to go out on a date. After watching this episode, I do think that Nisekoi is funny after all. The yakuza stalking the fake couple was funny, especially with Claude standing next to the “Beware of Stalkers” sign. I also like manga-like parts especially during the date when Onodera sees Raku at the park. It was really frustrating for Raku since he was aware of the yakuza around but didn’t want Onodera to misunderstand what was going on. Nisekoi has the most interesting love triangle. Raku has to pretend to be Chitoge’s boyfriend (it might be a bit cliche, but I like it) but he made a promise a girl when he was young who turns out to be Onodera. I don’t know who I’ll prefer Raku to end up with, but knowing how romance anime usually are, it’ll probably be Chitoge.

The extra bit after the ending song was amusing. Raku and Chitoge has such strange ways of naming animals. I think I prefer Raku’s. Although he gives the animals very long names which are hard to remember, at least they are proper names. It’s much better than calling them “Number One”, etc.

Hamatora

File 3: Those With and Those Without

Three episodes into this mystery anime, I’ve taken a liking to the plot right now. Perhaps it’s because the anime I’ve been watching recently are too normal that I need to watch some insane characters for a change. The serial killer in Hamatora is one of the most twisted characters I’ve known for now. The rest come from Durarara. I still dislike the animation whenever a Minimum Holder uses his powers, but it’s not so striking to me now compared to the first episode.

Over to the actual episode, that Itou-san is seriously disillusioned. She thinks that she’s doing the best to protect her son and the rest of the youths but in reality, she feels that her son is useless and wonders why he doesn’t have a Minimum. Fortunately there aren’t any Minimum Holders in real life. Who knows how many psycho parents will there be? Anyway, it was interesting to learn that Art graduated from Facultas Academy as well despite not having a Minimum. Nice being the top graduate of the academy is pretty predictable after watching so many shounen anime. The serial killer reminds me of the Colourless King from K, personality-wise. By researching into non-innate Minumum Holders, he wants to create an equal society whereby everyone has Minimum powers. Yeah right. Leave your twisted ideas away from the rest of the society please.

Nagi no Asukara

Episode 16: The Whispers of the Faraway Waves

Hikari goes back to attend school, telling the rest of his classmates to call him “Senpai”. It’s nice to know that he has accepted his situation. When tasked to get Hikari’s new uniform, Miuna invites Sayu along but the two of them get into a fight because Sayu is still sad that Kaname hasn’t returned. When finds Miuna at the abandoned shipyard, one of the cranes broke apart and Miuna falls into the sea. Fortunately, Miuna manages to breathe underwater. I think that the shiny parts in the sea are Ena. Since Miuna’s mother is from the sea, perhaps her Ena can be activated at some time.

I felt really bad for Sayu in this episode. She misses Kaname a lot and has not seen him for five years. Yet, she’s invited to accompany Hikari and Miuna and is envious of Miuna that Hikari is back but not Kaname. The end of the episode shows Kaname back in the town, naked, in fact. The old man at the cafe was so shocked. By the way, the name of the cafe, Triangle, is so fitting. Kaname definitely still likes Chisaki, but so does Tsumugu. There we have a love triangle! To be honest, I used to really like Kaname x Chisaki. He’s such a nice person but Chisaki always treated him only as a friend. With Kaname back, things are going to be so interesting. What is Sayu going to do?

Today’s assignment: publish a post using a format you’ve never used before.

Kyousougiga

Log Horizon

Nagi no Asukara

Noragami

My usual format consists of at least one picture (around 5 for anime reviews) and mostly text. Since Day 18 of Zero to Hero requests a new format, I thought I’ll try out a gallery. I wasn’t sure what to include in the gallery, so I added my favourite screenshots from some of the anime I’ve reviewed. Most of them are from Noragami because it’s my favourite on-going anime at the moment.

Today’s assignment: Explore one or more social networks, and start an account so you can being exploring the possibilities. If you’re already active on a social network, set up Publicize and link the account to your blog, and/or create a strategy for how you’ll use it.

To be honest, I’ll rather not activate a social network for my blog. By doing so, whenever I post something, it will show up on my social network account. I usually use Twitter, but it’s a pretty personal account, with the occasional rants on the anime I’m currently watching. I’ll rather not have tweets posted automatically whenever I publish a post. It might spam my Twitter profile with tweets about my blog which I wouldn’t like. I prefer to keep my personal social networks separate from my blog..